Schine State Theatre
Also known as: State Theatre
Why it's listed
Schine State Theatre is a four-story yellow brick movie palace at 101-109 Columbus Avenue, on Sandusky's main street and one block from Sandusky Bay. William F. Seitz and his sons built it in 1928-1929 as a combined theater, office and store block. It was leased to J. Meyer Schine of Gloversville, New York, who later transferred the lease to Warner Bros.; Warner Bros. defaulted, and the Seitz family ran it last. The exterior has curved gables topped with an anthemion motif, carved roping on each arch, stone urns, and a cornice frieze with pineapple decorations. Inside, a canvas sky, urns and arches provide elaborate decoration. The basement held a bowling alley and billiard tables, making the building a full entertainment center. The box office was moved from the lobby to the front in the 1930s and the storefronts have been altered. It was listed as a typical late 1920s movie palace with the embellishments of its era.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it a typical late 1920s movie palace with all the embellishments of that period. It functioned as a complete entertainment center, with a bowling alley and billiard tables in the basement. It was leased to J. Meyer Schine and later transferred to Warner Bros.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 82001435, listed October 20, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 101-109 Columbus Ave., Sandusky |
|---|---|
| County | Erie County |
| Listed | October 20, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001435 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1928-1929 |
| Architect / builder | Built by William F. Seitz and his sons; leased to J. Meyer Schine of Gloversville, N.Y. |
| Architectural style | Spanish motif |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Exterior condition listed as very good; still used as theater, offices and stores. Storefronts have been altered and the box office was moved to the front in the 1930s. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Downtown Sandusky Commercial Historic District |
| Coordinates | 41.45691, -82.71274 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 82001435.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q43163404
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.